Chapter Eight
The True Skills of Craftsmanship
Building a ship requires knowledge. Through diligent study
you may acquire "head-knowledge." Many folks are full of
"book-smarts" and their intelligence glows like a lighthouse in the
night. Building a Mentorship requires "heart-knowledge."
AID to MENTOR NAVIGATION
Part 15
Many Teachers and Preachers go to school to learn their
craft of teaching and preaching. They receive little instruction on forming
relationships with those to whom they will teach. Their focus is on the
textbook and the transference of "head-knowledge" into the
"student-heads" of their audience. Sometimes this approach is about
as useful as a Preacher giving a group of cloistered nuns a message about birth
control. A true craftsman will focus on the heart first.
Building a chair would require knowledge of the human body.
The type of chair would require specific knowledge about who would sit in the
chair. You probably wouldn't design a booster seat for a Sumo wrestler. Knowing
how to be a Mentor
begins with compassion. It is possible to possess all knowledge about children
and be a lousy Mentor.
While crafting your Mentorship, pay special attention to the heart - both yours
and the person you are Mentoring.
The heart is like a ship with many chambers. The Titanic was
built by master craftsmen who used the most advanced technology available. They
arrogantly thought the Titanic was "unsinkable." The 16 water tight
chambers filled with water and the ship sank. Your heart has chambers that can
be flooded with troubles and sink your Mentoring efforts. You must learn to
carry pain without being contagious to those to whom you Mentor. It is not wise to discuss your brokenness with someone you are Mentoring unless you really feel it will help them.
AID to MENTOR NAVIGATION
Part 16
Human Arrogance was the major reason for the immensity of
life loss aboard the ill-fated ship. There is no ship that is unsinkable and there is no heart that is
unbreakable. What will you do when you have to minister to a broken heart? Most
young people believe that no one understands their pain. You might have walked
in similar circumstances but it is very important to realize that each person
views pain differently. Do not expect someone to handle pain the way you do.
There is no: "one-size-fits-all." Though wounds may be similar, our perception of pain is personal.
You may be the life boat that has been missing from your
student's life. The craftsmanship used in building the Titanic was superior;
the builders haughtiness caused failure in providing enough lifeboats for all
passengers. The Titanic had only 20 lifeboats that could carry 1,140
passengers. The builders of the ship did not want to carry more lifeboats
because where they would be stored would obscure the view of passengers on deck. The number of people
on board the doomed vessel was approximately 2,233. Superior craftsmanship
should include planning for disasters that will happen. Please notice:
"WILL HAPPEN" not "might happen."
There are plenty of psychology books that teach about relationships
and brokenness. I would urge you to study them voraciously. That's a small piece of your Craftsmanship. The Craftsmanship
of a Mentor
should lean heavily on compassion and empathy combined with ears tuned into the heart.
Please treat each wound with fresh understanding. Each heart is unique. Many
times you will not need to solve a problem, you will just need to listen and be
a sounding board. A young person hungers for the emotional food of your
presence - they want to know somebody cares.
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